People in Nottingham will have noticed a new addition to the city streets over the past couple of weeks. Hundreds of electric bikes were rolled out on April 14 as part of a Nottingham City Council scheme.
Their presence has split opinion, with some believing they are positive for the city, and others annoyed at them being 'littered' across some streets. Nevertheless, the pay-as-you go bikes seem to be here to stay, so I gave one a go.
I decided to ditch my usual bus commute into the city and pick up a helmet. To use the bike you must have the Lime app downloaded.
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The bikes require an initial £1 unlocking payment, with users being charged 19p per minute. When first using one of the bikes you should also be prepared to bring some sort of ID and take a quick test on your knowledge of the rules of the road.
So if you're in a rush, make sure to afford yourself some extra time. After grabbing a bike in Sherwood and completing the obligatory admin, I was ready to cruise down Mansfield Road.
Whilst the app warns you to prepare for the acceleration, I was still taken by surprise when the bike jolted forward upon pushing down on the pedals. Call me boring but it felt a bit of a thrill.
Once you're off the bike needs little to no pedalling, even on a flat stretch. Although going uphill requires a bit of healthy pump action.
At one point in my journey I found myself bunched up with a group of cycling youths. One looked back as if impressed by the 'coolness' of the bike.
Though considering I was donning a tightly fitted helmet and my trousers were riding up past my ankles I suspect it was with sarcasm. Nevertheless, boosting off from a standstill gives you a bit of a buzz - more than on a bus anyway - and I'm sure tailing drivers are thankful.
The bikes get up to a decent speed on main roads too and feel quite smooth. Upon arriving in the city I felt as though I had a spring in my step.
Whether that was because of the method, or - as someone who hasn't cycled for a long time - because of the novelty of it all, I don't know. One downside was the fact it cost more than £5 for a 20-odd minute hire.
Compared to a £2 bus, there's no competition when it comes to cost effectiveness. I still believe however that the e-bikes are worth a spin now and again, and considering the unlock fee, would be more worth it when used for a longer period.
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